Parting ways

 "What would you say if I ask you out?" asked him.

The question startled her mildly, for she always thought of him as her friend. It was quite unusual of him to ask, she thought. 

It was a beautiful day in the park. The sky was blue and the sun shone brightly. Children were playing at distance. They were walking along the pavement, looking at the kids playing. 

"Hey," he called her. 

"Well hypothetically, I might not create a scene, but I don't want a relationship now." Said she. 

It's what he expected all along. For he never wanted to upset her. After all, it's only a miracle if a girl in this world would go out with me, he thought. 

She thought, it' s been over a year since I met him. We had a good time. Now he's asking all the wrong questions. He asked few questions. That's what I liked about him. 

He came to her asking for a donation to help the homeless while they were in College. A guy like that, smart, charming and witty. He had golden hair and beautiful eyes. He had some pamphlets and a box in his hands. Their connection was made instantaneously. 

"Politics is the most fascinating and boring topic" he would say. He was so funny that sometimes I wanted to smack him. Our ideologies aligned, and so did our personalities. 

"Pass the ball, Anna", shouted a kid, it broke their thoughts. He kicked the ball to the kid and kept on walking. 

Cursed be the time I asked her. Now she'll never see me as a friend. I know what's going to happen. She'll stop texting me, and we are gonna grown apart. 

I met her at college. A girl with a fierce look and strong will. She had petite eyes with a cute face. That's what took me to her. It was love at first sight for me. I purposely planned everything and tried to get to her. Economics is a great subject. She used to say often. I studied economics to impress her, and kept discussing things that interest her. We got close gradually. All this time she was my dream, a fantasy far beyond reach. 

And today I decided to speak my mind. After all this time. As they used to say, there's nothing worse than a No.  

But now I know better. There are things even worse. It's the never-ending awaiting. Living life in hopes of a day when she'll be mine. All this while knowing she slipped through, and one day I'll be a stranger to her, again. 

"Let's just be friends,"  she said to him, smiling. 

"Yeah I agree let's", he couldn't.  

He put his hand forth and they shook  their hands

"Well, I'll be on my way",  she said

And they parted ways. They kept on walking opposite ways. The sound of the kids playing still filled the air.